


winter soldiers

by deathblossoms



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas Time, M/M, postwar fluff, reaper adapting to regular society and the troubles it brings, set after the two men make amends, some angst but also hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:26:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28240116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathblossoms/pseuds/deathblossoms
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and Gabriel refuses to be blinded by the pretty lights and distracted by the sounds - he's still brooding from the time after the war, but Jack is there to remind him he's human, just like the rest of them.
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 16
Kudos: 23
Collections: Reaper76 Free For All Secret Santa 2020





	winter soldiers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MickeArts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MickeArts/gifts).



> Just a prompt given to me for the r76 exchange! Many thanks to [hammy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hammy9000) for helping beta my fic. :)

It was enough to feel normal again, _almost_. The cabin was warm, the oven was at work and filled the living room with the faint scent of cookies baking. Said room was tidy and festive with a large tree in the corner that had been hell for the both of them to drag in, presents piled underneath. Truthfully, it wasn't really his thing; it hadn't been for many years of his life, both young and old. It all looked picturesque and pristine, the kind of image one imagined for a perfect Christmas. Still, it had not been crafted without hardship and an inhuman amount of effort on Jack's part. The lights and the fireplace may have prevented the shadows from crawling into the room and darkening it all to taint the space, but they were still there in Gabriel's mind. They'd never left.

He could only be thankful this was mostly for themselves; Gabriel didn't want visitors for long, knowing the sight of his scarred face would only symbolise a painful reminder of everything they'd been through and what had resulted from it, the feelings that had manifested in the shadows. Jack too had his scars, but he seemed to be able to wear them as a grim reminder of a conflict long past, a battle he'd overcome and a darkness he'd forgiven. He doesn't know how Jack does that. Either way, Jack had respected his wishes.

Wrapping presents had been a hard and daunting task; every receiver was someone Gabriel had hurt over the past few years and the memories still strong and bitter in his mind. Ana's had been the hardest to wrap, the man had genuinely struggled, fumbling with the paper and smooth corners to the point of frustration – it just never seemed to look right. It was supposed to be a joke gift; a teacup as a replacement for one he'd unintentionally smashed on base years ago, but any memory of the past was still hard to look back on and laugh.

He was still learning how to do that.

Christmas was a complicated time; it always had been. His childhood had lacked it. In his later years when he'd settled down he'd tried to make it work to make up for all the times he was absent at the Reyes house, and sometimes he'd spent it on base, overdoing the holiday his inner child never got but mostly for the principles of togetherness, sharing food and stories. But after death it had become like everything else – a meaningless attachment to the mortal realm. Christmas had become a miserable reminder of what once was; there had been no one to spend it with, no family to come home to. The world had moved on from Gabriel Reyes. Even the Reaper himself looked back on that man trapped in shadows and had walked the opposite way.

The path to finding back his heart had been difficult. This year had been full of pain, but Jack had remained at his side. They didn't always see eye to eye, still bickering now and again, but they'd both been determined to return to something that had made them both so happy, the hours they'd spent together but with one peaceful twist – the war was finally over for them. And now they'd reached their first Christmas – the first Gabriel has celebrated in years.

The more he thought on it, the more he didn't understand how he was here in this moment and how surreal it all was, staring at the ornament in his scarred hand, a porcelain dove. It had been a gift from the others, an offering after Gabriel had shied away from spending time with anyone but Jack – a sign he was still on their minds. Jack wanted him to hang it. The significance was there but the man didn't want to accept it. It was hard to appreciate anything since he'd died the first time. Everything seemed so trivial in comparison, he was still learning to appreciate life instead of envying the others and their normal, mundane lives. Truthfully, he didn't want that, anyway.

“...Gabe?” He heard the concerned, light voice beside him that drew him from his brooding.

Gabriel looked up to see Jack watching him, that hard expression soft and almost a little sad. The scars on the man's face a constant reminder of the falling out they'd had all those years ago, the conflict that had led to everything after it. The day Gabriel had died. And what had he really achieved with this second chance at life?

What was he truly doing here?

“...you hang it.” Gabriel handed the ornament to Jack, at least tried to, and the man shook his head.

“I want you to pick a spot.”

Reaper would have crushed this gift the moment it was handed to him, Reyes was less ungrateful but the frustration still lay beneath. He knew he didn't deserve kindness, not after everything they'd been through. Peace, love... once things Reyes fought for but never expected to attain, himself.

“What's the point, Jack?” He sighed. “It's just a tree.”

“It's not just a tree, c'mon... you used to love this time of year. You always loved an excuse to celebrate.”

“Only because I had a family to spend it with.”

Jack looked a little taken aback by the wording and Gabriel realised what he'd said too long after it had left his lips.

“No... I don't mean that, just... I used to make up for lost time.”

“Yeah? How is this moment any different?” The other said, almost a little defensively. “We've made our peace, Gabe, this doesn't have to be like the other years. Besides... you're my family, now.” Jack reached out, his hand softly touching Gabriel's as he held the ornament. “...here, let me help.”

Quietly, he led Gabriel's hand to the tree and gave him the option to pick a spot. Gabriel led towards a spot in the middle and they hung it together.

“See, that wasn't so hard, was it?” “Oh, it was _agonising_. Like pulling teeth.”

Jack chuckled, but the moment fell short. Gabriel looked towards him, feeling those eyes on him. Jack lifted his hand to leave a peck on the back of it. He glanced away from the man to admire the dove on the tree, glossy and glittering in the surrounding light.

“We had a lot of good years before the war, Gabe. Here's to plenty more.”

With a slight smile, Gabriel realised he didn't mind that idea.


End file.
